


Setting the Course: True North

by Dragonmad



Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2007-06-11
Updated: 2008-10-18
Packaged: 2017-10-26 10:26:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/281980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragonmad/pseuds/Dragonmad
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Things tend to go horribly wrong in battle, and even the best laid plans encounter a tangle. Will is shot and his life hangs by a thread. His survival relies on the Captain of the Black Pearl to see Will to safety, but concern is not the only reason why Jack is worried. Now all that needs to be done is to get him to admit it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First ever posted fanfic. Looking back now it's laughable. Will be revisiting it soon and fixing it up, hopefully.
> 
> This is Pre-AWE AU, Fic-let.
> 
> First few chapters are unbetaed. Later chapters betaed by Ainsoph15.
> 
> Inspiration for this fic:
> 
> Right, well i was going through [info]potc_art, and came across a picture that rehashed an old plot bunny that has been in my head since CotBP. So i finally decided to get off my lazy butt and do something.

 

 

The sharp rapport of a gun shot seemed to echo unnaturally loud against the clashing of enemy blades and stilled the fervent battle.

It took what seemed an inordinate amount of time for people to process what was happening. A strange malaise had settled over the participants of the warring sides.

Will blinked and gave a small gasp of pain. Looking down at his body in confusion, his mind tried to keep up and process information that was made unclear by the haze of adrenalin singing in his veins. A red stain was quickly spreading across the white opaque material of his shirt. All of a sudden the fog of shock lifted and his knees buckled in pain and his vision swam, causing him to crumple slowly towards the ground.

The noise seemed to unfreeze one other individual who wrapped a strong arm in a supportive embrace around Will's waist, stopping his descent.

The depth of anger that glittered in the angry orbs directed at the pirate who'd shot the boy made even the crew of _The Pearl_ suck in a collective gasp and take a step backward in fear. With a calm sharply juxtaposed by the swirling emotion in the man's eyes, Jack reached down, took out his pistol, cocked it and shot the pirate between the eyes, watching in silence as the man fell, his face a stony mask.

Dark eyes flicked up to observe the frozen tableau before him.

A soft rumbling, " _Go._ " was the only prompting the attacking pirates needed, scattering quickly into the surroundings as if the hounds of hell were snapping at their heels. The rest of the crew stood uncertainly, at a loss as to what to do on seeing their captain like this. No one had ever seen Captain Jack Sparrow like this.

Gently lowering the boy onto the sand, Jack tried in vain ignore the uneven ragged gasps of pain.

"Easy there William. Let ol' Jack take a look at ye, hm?"

Gone was rambling, flighty, optimistic, half-mad man that the crew knew to be their captain. In his place was a still, methodical, calm facade of a man, covering a veritable tempest of emotions underneath.

Gently undoing the boys shirt, Jack exposed the dangerous wound that had felled the boy. A collective hiss was released from the crew at the sight.

Jack's face remained in its expressionless state. "Mr Gibbs, ready the longboat, we head back to _The Pearl_ and sail for the closest port."

"Aye, Captain." feeling like he was moving underwater, Gibbs spun and shouted orders.

A flurry of activity took over, yet two figures seemed impervious to the rapid movements around them.

~*~*~*~*~*~

  
The next few hours seemed to pass in a blur, all hands busy with the ship, while in the captain's cabin, three figures worked endlessly to try keep the boy alive.

Steeling himself for the worst, Gibbs cautiously pulled his captain aside.

"i's no good Jack, he needs help now an' the closest port is close to three days sail from here. He's not goin' to last that long. Not at this rate..."

The two men stood, watching the laboring unconscious figure on the bed, face deathly pale.

Jack still had that strange stillness about him, completely unnerving and unnatural against his usual flamboyant movements. 

Slowly unsheathing the sword at his hip, Jack ordered a quiet, "Light a fire." Gibbs blanched, but he and Cotton did as ordered and took Jack's sword.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Jack lifted a hand and brushed back the errant strands of hair, damp with sweat. He kept his hand on the boys forehead, watching.

"Im so sorry Will."

Taking a deep breath he took the burning sword from Gibbs, before nodding to the two men to hold him down.

Steeling himself against what he knew was to come, he pressed the scorching metal against Will's wound.

Will's scream would be a memory that would haunt Jack for the rest of his life.

  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

tbc(?)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will is locked in fevered dreams which rehashes some dark memories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to ainsoph15 this fic is now readable! All bow to her greatness!!! Also to the incredibly wonderful and kind who was kind enough to offer her herb-knowledge. It's not used here im afraid, but i still wanted to give her a mention, because it was so nice of her to help! *bows humbly!* Oh! And thank you to EVERYONE who's reviewed! Honestly it's made this an absolute joy to write for you guys and i hope that this ficlet continues to satisfy! Thank you all so much!

~*~*~*~

Will had the strangest feeling of floating, cushioned on a warm current of air that rocked him softly. It was incredibly pleasant, and he was in no rush to dispel the sensation, so he gave a small sigh and fell back into the dark and quiet.

Time seemed to pass in a strange way here, and he had no real notion of the date. He vaguely recollected something important that he needed to remember, but the clinging mist that shadowed his memory from conscious thought proved too hard to penetrate. He didn't have the strength to properly fight his way through it, and so decided to let it part by itself.

At times he felt incredibly hot, as if he were stuck in the middle of one of those deserts he'd read about in Elizabeth's collection of adventure stories. The heat was almost unbearable in its intensity; unrelenting and scorching as if he were in the midst of a massive forge fire. The thought that he might be in hell briefly flitted through his mind before retreating as quickly as it had come.

And then there was the cold. So achingly bitter, he wondered if he'd ever be warm again. It reminded him of his childhood in England, and the time one of the other boys had stolen his jacket and he'd had to walk home in the wind and snow. He'd never been so cold before, and the wind had whipped through his thin coverings and seemed to settle into his very bones. His shoes and stockings had been soaked through, the melted snow soaking up to his trousers like a sponge soaks water. His feet had been numb and his face and cheeks had gone as red as a beet. When he'd gotten home he'd been strongly reprimanded by his mother, wrapped in blankets and then dumped in a tub of heated water. The cold that affected him then seemed like a slight chill in comparison.  
Hmmm. Strange he should remember that so clearly, when everything else still seemed so hazy.

The fluctuation in temperature was, Will reflected, really most irritating.

His temperature rose and fell and he tossed and turned, trying to get cooler or warmer alternately.

And then came the dreams. Pleasant dreams were warped and distorted into repulsive morbidity, and everything was both familiar and frightening. He saw things that he could have sworn actually happened, yet where a straight path should lie, a twist would follow till the memory bore no semblance to real life. He saw the ghostly crew of Barbossa performing vicious atrocities against innocent people. He saw people he knew suffering and in pain and he desperately tried to reach them to help. Yet for every action or step he'd make, they'd suffer more. But that was not the worst of it.

The worst dream came in a series that haunted him ceaselessly. He watched again as his mother died, slowly and painfully, leaving him alone with nothing and nowhere to go. He watched as the ship he'd bartered passage on was blown out of the water, killing the sailors who'd been kind to an orphaned nobody, and leaving him once again alone. He watched as he was taken to a foreign land where he knew no one and seemed invisible to everyone else. He remembered running back and forth to the docks, inquiring about a father who was only a distant memory. He remembered the fearful looks and whispered words of the lower classes as he was considered a bad omen, which tainted anyone in contact with him. He watched as he was shunned from the upper class because he was obviously of 'common' stock...

Will curled up into a ball, trying to escape the hateful memories...

... And he remembered curling up on the rickety cot at the back of the smithy, crying himself to sleep as he wished in vain for someone to come find him. For someone to befriend him. And for someone to love him...

A warm pressure gently eased itself across his hair and he leant his head into the contact, and much to his shame, released a small whimper of long buried pain.

"Shhhhh. It's alright Will. I'll take care of you. You’re safe..."

The hand - he realised abstractly what it was, - remained, stroking his hair gently, and offering a warmth and comfort that had been long missed.

With a last whimper Will drifted back into black oblivion.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jack let his hand rest for a minute longer on the boy's soft hair. His fevered dreams seemed to have eased temporarily, but his temperature was still far too high for the pirate's liking.

He sighed and slowly made to get up when an iron-strong grip stopped him suddenly. Blinking in shock he looked down at the awake, but not aware Will. The glossy sheen of fever was in the boy’s eyes as well a depthless well of pain and loneliness.

"Please... don't leave me! I'm sorry, I am! I'm so, so sorry, just please... don't leave..."

Jack's breath caught and he had to swallow a massive boulder that seemed to have lodged itself in his throat. The normally stoic young man had been stripped away and in his place was a frightened child. Jack wasn't really sure what to do.

Placing a gentle hand over the too-warm calloused one that gripped his wrist he tried to reassure the youth.

"'S alright. I’m not going anywhere." He settled back onto the side of the bed. "See?"

Will seemed to be staring through him instead of at him, anchoring Jack's perception that Will was still far from healed.

"It's all my fault. I'm sorry! Please... I just..." heavily lashed eyelids fluttered closed and a shudder wracked the thin frame.

Jack frowned, more than a little perplexed, and rubbed the boy's hand with small circles of a calloused thumb. "Easy Will. It's just a dream. Ol' Jackie won't let anyone harm ye..."

Slowly the boy's breathing eased out and the grip relaxed. Jack sat on the bed crooning quiet nothings until he was sure the boy had slipped back into unconsciousness.

 

There was one thing for sure, he'd not be moving from the boy's side for anything.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

tbc.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews make the muses happy! *puppy dog eyes!*


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things tend to go horribly wrong in battle, and even the best laid plans encounter a tangle. Will is shot and his life hangs by a thread. His survival relies on the Captain of the Black Pearl to see Will to safety, but concern is not the only reason why Jack is worried. The Pearl, as savvy as the wisest man or woman, knows the true reason and tries to urge her captain on, but Jack is uncommonly good at ignoring things he doesn't want to hear or recognise. The rush is on to get Will to a doctor, and when the infamous Black Pearl, her crew, and the equally famous Captain Jack Sparrow strip themselves of their trappings to get one, things do not go quite as expected when said doctor isn’t as proficient as they had hoped. So, Jack takes matters into his own hands…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Medical Disclaimer/Authors Notes: Any mention of herbs/herb knowledge comes from [info]qualli who was kind enough to give me a few suggestions. This is fiction, meaning: PLEASE DONT try to use these herbs in real life to sort the same kind of problems. Im not a doctor, and neither is [info]qualli, therefore no stock should be put in these herbs as a cure for any ailment. Thank you  
> Thanks as always goes to the wonderful and amazingly talented [info]ainsoph15, who has taken on the irritating and dull job of beta'ing me! *bows humbly!* Much love darlin'! This is as much your fic-let as it is mine!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Jack carefully dipped the cloth into the bowl of water before laying it on the boy's forehead, muttering about ridiculously near-sighted*, goat-like doctors who didn't know their ass from a tea-kettle as he did so.

Gibbs entered the cabin quietly and watched his captain toss aside several of the herbs that the doctor had given him.

"Er... Capt'n?"

Jack was sorting through various odds and ends that he had in his cabin, taking down some jars and replacing others. Finally, he returned to the bedside table, and placed the assortment of containers down on the bed housing the prone boy. Jack picked up one of the herbs the doctor had given him in a way that suggested he suspected it might come alive and try to eat his hand at any moment. Narrowing his eyes suspiciously, he brought it close to his face and took a careful sniff, his expression reflecting that the smell was most definitely not pleasant. He tossed it over his shoulder, narrowly missing Gibbs who'd moved closer to bed.

"Cap'n? Mind if I be askin' just what you’re doing throwing away all those herbs the doctor gave ye?"

"'Cause he's a bloody idiot is what! Look at this!"

A flamboyant hand gesture over one shoulder pointed to the now scattered herbs that littered the floor of his cabin. "Ye'd think he were tryin' to kill the boy! Feverfew, dandeli'n an' nettle! Nettle, I tell you?! And he wanted to mix it wit' yarrow!!! Bloody man should be shot, gutted and hung from the yardarm! ... By his intestines!" Gibbs winced at the unpleasant visual.

Jack patted the unconscious boy’s hand in what appeared to be a gesture of consolation. "Not to worry! Good thing ol’ Jack knows a thing or two about herbs, eh? You'll be alright..."

Jack snorted in contempt. "Honestly, nettle?!" With that, he started opening the various assorted jars and mixing things together.

Gibbs watched in a mixture of confusion and admiration; a common combination when encountering anything to do with Jack Sparrow.

Jack unclasped the lid of one jar and dipped two fingers into the cream-like substance. With a small wince, Jack carefully leaned over and rubbed the solution over the burned skin on the boy’s chest, frighteningly close to his heart.

Finally, he seemed to notice Gibbs' unspoken question, and clarified,  
"Mixture o' things. Marigold, coltsfoot and slipp'ry elm wit' a bit o' comfrey. Supposed to help burns an' scars..."

The second, also unspoken question was answered with a flash of gold-capped teeth,  
"Learned it from a voodoo priestess.. Had a crewman who'd gotten a bad burn..." Jack dark eyes flickered down to a part of Gibbs' anatomy, which he hastily covered with a large wince of empathy, "Ye don't wanna know where... or how..." Jack snickered.

Truth be told, Gibbs was fairly relieved to see his captain acting somewhat like his usual self. Even if said usual self was definitely just this side of insane.

Jack stood up in a fluid movement, the heels of his booted feet landing on the wooden floor with a soft 'thump'. Halfway to some unnamed destination, he twisted around on the spot and shot a glare at Gibbs,  
"Well? Don't just stand there man! Hop to! Get some water boiled!"  
Gibbs scurried to do as ordered. Jack then proceeded to bang around and curse like a Tortugan whore while trying to find something.

When Gibbs came back, boiled pot of water at the ready, Jack was standing at his desk. Four of the jars were open around him, with their contents being worked in a small mortar and pestle. Using a piece of muslin that had been swiped from the galley, Jack wrapped up the crushed herbs and tied the bag with string. He placed the small parcel into a nearby, relatively clean mug - the rum it had contained having been quickly swallowed - and poured the hot water carefully in. He cautiously set aside the concoction to sit and blew out his breath in a huff.

An awkward silence settled over the two men as they waited for the liquid to infuse. Gibbs shuffled his feet self-consciously before deciding to look at the various jars that lay on the great oak desk. Half of them were open or tipped on their sides, the herbs spilling out onto the wood to display their contents. Various colours of green decorated the surface along with the occasional burst of colour from flowers and leaves both familiar and unfamiliar. Seeing an unopened jar he reached out for it -

"Don't open that!!!"

Gibbs jumped at the sudden noise and removed his hand, eyes flicking to Jack in question and worry. He wouldn't put it past Jack Sparrow to have some uncommonly nasty things hidden in his cabin. Nor would he put it past him to hide it in something so innocuous as a seemingly innocent, unopened jar.

Jack sashayed over and removed the jar from the desk. "Valerian," he explained, shaking the jar in emphasis, "horribly smelly stuff! Stinks up the room for a good hour or so after.**" A rolling hand gesture distracted whilst the jar was hidden in some hidden compartment.

Jack turned around with a flourish and clapped his hands together. "Right! Now comes the hard part."

Shooing the man out of his way, Jack and the concoction made their way back over to the bed, and he gingerly lowered it to sit on the side table. Sitting down at the boy’s side, he looked at the young face made peaceful by unconsciousness. With a sigh he brought a bejeweled hand forward and tapped the boy’s cheek.

"Come on Will, wakey wakey. Need ye to wake up lad. Come on..."

After a slight delay a small furrow formed on the boy’s brow and a small, subdued moan was his answer. With a grin of triumph, Jack continued.

"Wake up, William! Come on, ya sluggabed! Up!" He snapped his fingers in front of the boy’s face.

Will stirred some more, fighting his way up through the thick layers of fevered sleep. His eyelashes fluttered slowly open to stare up in confusion at two dark orbs that hovered above him. A weak croak questioned the floating pair of eyes.

"There ya go! See! Right, now.... Whoa, don't go back to sleep on me after all o' that!"  
More clicking of fingers and patting of his cheek resulted, and Will felt the distinct need to hit the annoying person.. if only he could find the energy to lift his arm...

"Easy there Will. Gotta get ye to drink this tea for me..."

Gibbs moved over to help Jack ease Will back against the head board, and Jack removed the muslin-wrapped herbs from the mug, blowing softly on it and taking a small sip to check temperature himself before lifting it up and carefully bringing it to the boy’s lips.***

"Little sips now... don't need you choking on top o' everything else that’s happened to ye..."

Too tired to question or argue, Will closed his eyes and obeyed, sipping slowly.

The drink was removed, and hands gently settled him back onto the bed and a warm finger gently brushed his hair back from his face. Will did not need the soft words to ease him back to sleep.  
Warm and content for the time being, he slipped back into dark oblivion.

Jack closed his eyes and allowed a small, thankful sigh to escape. In some unknown portion of his mind he heard a distinctly feminine chuckle as The Pearl creaked around him. Snapping his eyes open he glared at the bulkhead of the cabin. Aware of Gibbs' presence still in the great cabin, he hissed under his breath through compressed lips at the nearest piece of Pearl's smooth black wood.

"'M not denyin' anythin'!"

A deeper creak of amusement was his only answer before the great ship fell silent again.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

tbc. (soon!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * No offense to near-sighted people or near-sighted doctors intended. Oh, and no offense to goats either.  
> **Or so [info]qualli informs me from personal experience. Personally, I'm as clueless as Gibbs! If she's wrong, ye can go hunt her down with a pitchfork. Although I'd rather ye didn't. She's been most helpful and creates wonderful pieces of fanart.  
>  *** Dedicated to [info]ainsoph15 who got a small thrill at the idea and blushed becomingly. Had to include it then didn't i? *evil grin*
> 
> Herbs:  
> Herblore gotten from the wonderful [info]qualli[info]  
> Feverfew: sweats out fevers - should only be used as a last resort.  
> Dandelion and Nettle - a common tonic, but the nettle warms a person up, (not really something you want for someone who has a fever.) Quoth[info]qualli[info] "a combination of dandelion valerian hops and yarrow can create odd dreams, especially if he's in a fevered state..."  
> Valerian: a painkilling herb that stinks like the breath of a scurvy pirate apparently!


	5. Chapter 5

The days melded together and the only real marker of time came when the rising of a new sun was replaced by the silvery luminescence of the moon. The crew of The Pearl continued with their duties regardless of the time, but they were becoming restless with the lack of piracy. They knew, understood and accepted the reason why, but that did not prevent them from feeling as if they should be doing more. Their captain would appear on deck irregularly for short periods of time. He'd perform his own duties as quickly as possible to make sure things were in order, before once again disappearing into his cabin, and back to the person who resided there.

For her part, the dark ship seemed more than capable of taking care of herself, with or without the aid of her captain.

~*~

 

The dark night was lit only by the pale illumination of a full moon and scattered stars peeking through a thick covering of cloud. A few lanterns were strung about The Pearl to aid those in their nightly duties, but for the most part the great ship carved her way through the waters in silence. The sound of waves crashing on a distant shore and the soft lapping at the hull carried through the crisp air, lulling all within her into a deep sleep.

Captain Jack Sparrow twitched in his slumber, lounging uncomfortably in a high-backed wooden desk chair. Unlike most onboard the great pirate ship, Jack's sleep was not very deep. However, this was not a new occurrence. Life as a pirate had taught Jack some hard lessons; a person is never so vulnerable as when they are asleep. Or going to the bathroom.

Then again, it was often speculated by his crew and others that Jack was incapable of a deep sleep or indeed, stillness. He would wake in an instant and be aware before he was awake. In fact, the only time, it was remarked, when one could better Captain Jack Sparrow was when he was stone cold sober*.

A noise disturbed the silence, and Jack came to with a start and a great cry of "RUM!?", knocking the chair over with a loud clatter at his burst of sudden motion. Still half asleep, he grabbed the nearest weapon - in this case the remnants of the leg of mutton that was dinner - and brandished it at an unspecified assailant like a pistol.

Frowning at the bone in some consternation, his eyes quickly flicked over the cabin, looking for the disturbance that woke him. Discarding the bone, he placed his hand cautiously on the hilt of his cutlass, muscles taut, and hearing strained.

After a small period of tense anxiety the sound came again, and Jack's attention was re-directed to the slumbering form of Will. Jack allowed himself to relax slightly. The boy had been getting better, slowly, but his sleep was often disturbed, sometimes by dark dreams, and other times by some memory or other. To Jack's relief, it seemed to be the latter tonight. Moving slowly and cautiously to the boy's side he sat down on the bed to offer what comfort he could.

 

Will was muttering and mumbling incoherently in his sleep, and as he watched, Jack's mind began to wander. His eyes slowly drank in the smooth and beautiful features of the lad. Will's skin was tanned golden from hours in the sun from a young age, and his complexion clear, giving a healthy glowing look to him. In contrast, his hair and features were dark, with thick locks that twisted into curls that flew about his face in whatever he did. They could not be tamed, and Jack often enjoyed - secretly - watching Will tie his hair back only to have bits of fly-away hair fluttering and taunting the boy for trying to keep them from their task of irritating him. Long dark lashes obscured the brown depths of the boys eyes that would warm in affection or flash with anger. The skin around his eyes would crinkle with amusement, and a brightness would appear seemingly out of nowhere to dance in the dark orbs. It was a look that had been seen by far too few, but Jack made sure he'd always remember that look. Will's nose was just about right, a bit large, but somehow it seemed fairly well proportioned for his face, if a bit broad. When he was angry his nostrils would flair alarmingly and with that dark anger in his eyes and fly-away hair, he was rather frightening. And bloody attractive too. A light dusting of hair above Will's upper lip marked out a faint goatee, which, frankly, in Jack's esteemed opinion, looked ridiculous, but with a few years it just might work. At the moment however, it reflected Will's own opinion of himself; a boy with far too much maturity than was good for him. Jack's eyes flicked inexorably downwards and fixed on red plump lips. As he watched the lips move with Will's mumbling and the tip of a pink tongue dart out to wet them, Jack swallowed hard, entranced. He moved slowly forwards, hardly daring to breathe his eyes still fixed on Will's lips, and he felt Will's warm breath caressing his face. He was thus very close when he heard one word in particular.

"James."

 

Jack's eyes flew wide and he leapt off the bed staring in shock at the figure before him.

Will gave a sigh, and a small smile played at the corner of his lips as he burrowed deeper under the bed covers.

Jack blinked in confusion and shock as unnamed emotions rampaged throughout his psyche, too fast for him to acknowledge. Some small part of his conscious was crowing with victory, that at least he had a chance, that it didn’t matter that it wasn't his name, and Will would come around in time. Another part of him was lamenting, pouting, sulking and throwing a tantrum that it hadn't been his name that had been whispered so secretively. His mind chugged through names, trying to place this one that was irritatingly familiar.

James. He knew that name. He knew he knew that name, but how did he know it? A disembodied and scorn-laden voice floated up and echoed in his head; "And here I was half expecting it to be made of wood." And Jack's heart did a funny flip as the face that accompanied the voice popped into his head, flooding him with the feeling of being dumped into an icy sea as his hopes were crushed and a morbid kind of horror took over.

Commodore.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Will was remembering his childhood in Port Royal. Or to put it more aptly, he was reliving it in dream format; a memory with the timelessness and strange format that dreams carry. He was a lot younger, a scrap of a boy who'd just come to the port town and sunny Caribbean. He'd only recently been dragged out of the sea and placed, shaking, bewildered and alone in this strange place that was so different from England. Several months had passed and he still felt like a stranger in this weird and somewhat wonderful place.

Hefting the sword and various papers higher in his arms he trudged down the cobble-stone path to the impressive and frightening silhouette of the fort.

Slipping past the red-coated soldiers standing guard or laughing and sparring in the courtyard, he quickly and quietly made his to the commodore's office. Taking a deep, tremulous breath, he tried to straighten his worn and dirty clothes as best he could before juggling his burden to raise one hand to knock on the oak door.

The faint hum of conversation stilled within and a deep booming voice bade him enter.

Trying to gather up his courage he opened the door slightly and slipped inside, coming to a stop upon seeing not only the Commodore but three of his Lieutenants as well, all of whom had their eye's fixed upon him. He gulped somewhat audibly.

The silence hung heavily in the air until it was broken by the commodore himself.

"Ah, Master Turner, I take it you have those figures from Mr. Brown?"

Will swallowed again, and hoped his voice wouldn't squeak.

"Yessir, and he also sent me with an example to show you, sir."

The rather imposing figure of Commodore Burton gestured for him to come forward, and cautiously he did so, handing over the papers first and then laying the sword carefully on the desk.

Burton's eyes scanned the papers, and nodded in thought before handing them to Lieutenant Norrington to also look over.

"Your opinion, Lieutenant?"

Norrington looked over the papers for a bit longer before looking up and addressing the others. "The figure seems quite acceptable, sir. However, might I suggest we order more armaments; the recent increase of skirmishes along the trading routes has caused some alarm amongst the merchants."

Will's eyes widened at this little tidbit of information. Talk was frequent amongst the people of Port Royal, all of whom in whispered words talked of the increase of piracy and the decrease of safety and lack of allies on the sea. For Lieutenant Norrington to mention an increase in armaments was an incredibly strong indicator that The British Royal Navy was not doing well.

"Hmmm," was Burton's only comment. A slight frown marked his otherwise blank countenance and the other lieutenants began discussing several ideas. For his part, Will tried to make himself invisible so that he could hear more.

Burton was studying the sword with interest before handing it to the others to do the same. He observed their reactions and asked them a few questions, all of which seemed quite pointless to Will. They reached an agreement and the Commodore wrote out a message.

"Turner?" Will straightened to his full height, "Please give this to your Master. We have some matters to discuss." It was a clear dismissal, and Will took the paper, but then hesitated. He made a quick decision, even if it was improper and somewhat embarrassing and - he took a deep breath.

"Sir?" All four pair's of eyes came back to study him, and he had to swallow to get rid of a suddenly dry throat. Mustering his courage again, he plowed onwards. "I was wondering if you'd had a chance to consider my application?"

Burton blinked and the corner of Norrington's mouth twitched and an eyebrow quirked. Will had to try to refrain from fidgeting on the spot.

Burton frowned. "Tell me, Master Turner, why are you so eager to join the Navy? Your apprenticeship to Mr Brown has been going well as far as I know. The new Governor went to extensive lengths to find a place for you."

Will felt a blush stain his cheeks. "Yessir, but I'd...I'd like to help." Seeing the unmoving looks of those before him he went on, "I'm a quick learner sir, and I'd do what I was told. I'm really quiet and wouldn't make a fuss...." He trailed off uncertainly.

Burton was studying him appraisingly. A strange look was in his eyes and Will had to refrain from stepping back in alarm. "I suppose," Burton began, "that we could always use another powder monkey."**

Norrington looked at Burton sharply while other two lieutenants gave soft chuckles.

"I'm afraid I must protest against such an act, sir. It would take several months to train a new man and we have not the time." Norrington told the commodore stiffly.

Burton chuckled. "Of course, James." Burton looked at Will again, "I'm afraid the lieutenant is right, we have no place for you at the moment. Now, if you'll excuse us."

Will stood uncertainly, another question dangling in his mind.

"I'm sorry sir, but I was also wondering if..." seeing the stern look on Burton's face, he faltered momentarily. "Umm... if, if you've found any news or mention of my father...?"

The lieutenants shuffled awkwardly and Burton eyed him again.

"We have been unable to locate anyone of the name William Turner, apart from yourself. We have been quite busy, however..." A pointed look was cast his way.

Will chewed on his bottom lip and nodded. Burton threw a look at Norrington, then Will, and then motioned to the door. Norrington acquiesced and escorted Will out of the office, releasing a little breath when he was outside. Will looked up at the man in question.

To tell the truth, Will was not altogether comfortable with the man. He always felt incredibly unimportant in the presence of a man who emulated everything he thought a man should be.

Norrington looked at Will in consideration, before softly answering his unspoken question. "I am sorry about your father. Should any news be found I'll make sure you are informed immediately."

Will swallowed hard and nodded in appreciation. He had a sinking feeling that he'd never hear anything about the man he remembered only vaguely from his younger years in England. But he had to try. "Thank you sir."

Norrington nodded his acceptance. "Master Turner..." Will looked at him, and the lieutenant sighed and looked out over the parapets of the fort at the sea, trying to organise his thoughts. "...Don't be so hasty to join the Navy. You are quite young still, and from what I hear doing very well as an apprentice smith. Not everyone belongs in the Navy, and you need to find your place here in Port Royal. Being an apprentice smith will take you a long way in that."

Will stared morosely at the mortar holding the large stone blocks of the fort together. He didn't want to be a smith. Why didn't they understand? And he didn't like his Master either. He drank a lot and made Will do most of the work. Will was sure Brown could do it himself, and was only giving it to Will so he could drink more. Besides, if he were in the Navy he'd get to go to all sorts of wonderful places and if he travelled, he had a better chance to hear news of his father. Maybe even meet him. Anyway, if he got to serve people like Lieutenant Norrington it wouldn't be so bad.

Seeing Will's forlorn look, Norrington sighed again and tried to figure out a compromise. "How about this? I'll teach you some of the basics of sword fighting, and if you are still set on joining the Navy, we will reconsider your application."

Will looked up in shock and felt a bubbling of excitement. "You'd do that sir?"

Norrington nodded and Will beamed, more than a little appeased at this new twist.

Norrington however, quickly warned him, "It will be a lot of hard work, it will require a lot of discipline and a lot of practice. You will have to do this on top of your duties to Mr. Brown. And I will not go easy on you just because you are tired." He looked sternly at Will who was nodding fervently and practically bouncing on the spot.

A small twitch of Norrington's lips and a tight nod and the man walked away.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

"You forget your place, Turner!"

"It's right here, between you and Jack."

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Jack was pacing the confines of his cabin in irritation, trying to think and trying not to throw up.

The Commodore?! He couldn't even curse or joke about that it was just too...too... ugh!!!!!!!

So involved was he in the ramblings of his mind that he almost did not hear the name that Will uttered next, with a lot more affection and meaning behind it.

"Jack..."

Jack stopped on the spot, blinked and then a slow devilish grin appeared on his face.

 

TBC.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Makes the action of "And that was without even a single drop of rum!" a lot more precarious and special doesn't it?  
> ** Powder Monkey: kids of a young age (as young as four it has been reported) and women were given the incredibly dangerous job of running from the gun deck down to the magazine's to ferry gun-powder during a battle. This meant there were massive pieces of wood exploding around them, slippery floors, firing cannons, and all the while they were carrying gun powder that one small spark could set off and basically kill them instantly. It was an incredibly dangerous job, and this small description really doesn't convey the horror and hardship of this duty.
> 
>  
> 
> A/N: Okay, this is basically one of the slight hypothesis I came up with about Will's past, his swordsmanship and his interaction with Norrington. This also gives a lot more weight to what we see in CotBP - mainly the sword, and the "You forget your place" scene (which I just adore!!!).
> 
> "I make no apologies!", also known as: "WHY THE HELL DID YOU INCLUDE WILLINGTON IN HERE?!" Well mate, the thing is, regardless of your own opinion, Willington, at least when Will was younger, makes a'lotta sense when you think about it and anyway I needed to flush it out of my system, 'cause this story just refused to go anywhere till I did! Besides, as [info]ainsoph15 says, it's a childhood crush/case of hero worship. If you don't like it you if find a selective mind works wonders! =P.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brief recap: Our illustrious captain takes matters into his own hands when a supposedly learned doctor proves to be not so knowledgeable. Jack steps up to the bar and heals our Will, and we start to see a different side to the captain. Will, meanwhile, is caught somewhere between dream and memory, and revisits several aspects of his past. Jack's ego is reassured by a certain name he calls out in his sleep, but not until after a small scare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Speech"  
> ~Pearl''s speech (to Jack only) ~

~*~*~*~*~**~*~

 

"Captain?"

"Aye?"

"He's waking up."

Will was aware of voices falling, but for the life of him he could not seem to get his eyelids to co-operate with his wish for them to open. Sighing mentally, he resumed his struggle to wake up. The sounds of rustling fabric and a tinkering of objects made themselves known to Will's slowly regaining consciousness. There was a slight dipping motion in the bed, and a warm hand covered first his forehead then his cheek. A gentle touch settled over an ache in his chest and Will gave a soft sigh of contentment. At the sound, the hand was removed, and Will's brow furrowed* as the weight was removed. The pressure on the bed also disappeared.

"A'right. Take over Mr. Gibbs. I'll be topside if anythin' should happen."

"Aye, aye Cap'n."

Footsteps faded, and the slick squeak of a wooden door before a quiet 'snick' alerted Will to the fact that someone had left the room. Frown deepening, Will figured he should probably open his eyes. But he didn’t really want to. He was very warm and comfortable, and the darkness was wonderfully soothing.

"Ahhh, no you don't lad, we all been waitin' too long for you to wake up for you to go back to sleep so soon. Come on now, wake up!" A calloused hand patted his jaw in a rather annoying manner. The frown was a full-blown scowl now as Will tried to ignore the irritating person.

There was nothing else for it, it seemed. The person wasn't going to go away, so he'd have to wake up. A moment of disorientation greeted his victory. His newly opened eyes flicked around the cabin before coming to settle on the grizzled features of the man sitting next to the bed.

A dry tongue came out to wet even drier lips in a futile attempt to aid speaking. A faint croak met his efforts. A small tankard was placed at his lips and he drank gratefully. Swallowing hard, he tried again.

"What...?"

Gibbs got the idea. "You had us all righ' worried lad. Ye got injured in tha' skirmish with Duke's men. The Cap'n was in a right state abou' it too. Haven't seen Jack Sparrow that angry in a long time. Drove the crew like a hurricane was on our tail he did -" here Gibbs stopped for a minute to cross himself and perform some kind of gesture to ward off such an event from happening. "across more than half the Caribbe' too, trying to find you a doctor. O' course when we did, he was a fat lot of help!" The man snorted in disgust at the memory. "Well, if anythin', that just made Jack all the angrier, an' rightly so! Right determined to see ye well, Jack was; good man. So an'ways, he then went an' shocked us all by patchin' you up himself! Wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with me own two eyes!"

Will frowned, trying to keep up with the rapid-running mouth of the old salt. Shifting himself slightly, he began to sit up. A sharp stab of pain roared through his chest and he feel back with a gasp, his hand flying to his torso to cover the source of the pain. Panting slightly for breath, he looked down to where his hand rested on a linen bandage. Will blinked, before memory began to flood back.

"He shot me!" Righteous indignation shoved aside the pain. Gibbs, who had continued his tale in ignorant bliss of Will's actions looked up in confusion. "Eh? Ah! Yeh; righ' nasty wound too. Ye lost a lot o' blood, an' I was almost positive yeh'd no' make it."

Peering under the bandage, Will looked in morbidly-fascinated horror at the red, angry skin that marked the bullet's entry point. Gibbs looked on. "Was necess'ry, 'm afraid. Yeh were loosin' too much blood, an lord knows that ain't a good thing to have happen at sea. Ol' Jack though knows a thing or two 'bout healin'. Lucky thing too, though where he learn't it the crew canno' seem to fathom! Some say that he -"

"- Jack did this?"

"Aye lad, right worried he was too!"

Will frowned and looked about the cabin for the elusive man. "Where is he now?"

Gibbs opened his mouth to reply but the sound of bellowed orders from the deck permeated the cabin and answered the question for him. " 'Bout the firs' time Jack's left this cabin for any length o' time. Good thing too, the crew are gettin' mighty restless. No doubt abou' it though, Jack's a good man, an' a fine capt'n, but there en’t many men, let alone men o' rank who'd be so worried abou' a crew member to stay by his bedside personally!"

Will fell into his own thoughts as his vague fevered memories repeated through his minds eye. A warm calloused hand wiping away the remnants of a nightmare, the soft jangling of trinkets, the pop of a cork being removed from a bottle, a shift in the mattress, and soft spoken words. All of these flitted by and Will was hard pressed to tell fact from fiction. Will's frown appeared again as he considered this. Surely such a mercurial ...pirate... could not be behind such actions? It must've been the workings of his disoriented mind. But then ...

Sitting up cautiously, and a good deal more slowly, he raised a hand to rub away the beginnings of a headache. Reaching for the tankard with his other hand he drank some more, giving a startled cough when the expected water had been replaced by rum. He rolled his eyes in exasperation but took a bigger gulp anyway.

With the help of Gibbs, Will managed to shift to the edge of the bed before slowly standing up. The room lurched and spun for an alarming minute and black dots danced across his vision creating an intense feeling of vertigo which was heightened by the swaying deck of The Pearl.

"Steady lad, tha's it..."

Blinking furiously, his vision finally cleared and he took a deep breath, feeling only a slight twinge in the left side of his chest. He took a few unsteady steps to the large desk chair, easing himself down into it with a sigh and more than a bit of frustration at the state it left him in.

Gibbs clapped him on the shoulder in consolation, "It'll get easier lad. You'll see..."

Will nodded to himself absently, determined that it would indeed get easier. But seeing as he was limited to slight activity, his mind was free to pursue other matters.

 

Mainly, the puzzle that was Captain Jack Sparrow.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors Note: Thanks as always to my wonderful beta [info]ainsoph15 , [info]who not only went through all the horrible nasty spelling/grammar problems, but also made me an amazingly beautiful icon! ^_^!!!! *SQUISH*, and thanks also to [info]erinrua '[info]s wonderful website, for the nautical terms. Thank you all for being so patient. RL intervened I'm afraid, and procrastination had to take a back-seat. As a reward, I'll be posting Chapter 6 and 7 simultaneously! (yay!)

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Two days had passed since Will first woke up and his strength had returned, though to Will's annoyance, not all at once. So it was that Will took up the habit of observation. His favourite thing to observe was Jack. There was definitely something about the man. He was thoroughly irritating and confusing as hell, his actions often seemed at odds with his words and it almost seemed that he had several personalities. Will was unsure if this was because he really was mad from his stint on the island, or if it was some form of protection, intricately woven to deflect and deceive any who might think to take advantage*. Not only that, but Jack had changed physically too! With wide-eyes Will had looked at his captain, whose notorious beard and unruly hair and been clipped, washed and brushed! His braided beard was gone, and in it's place was the beginnings of a respectable beard. His hair was back in it's dreadlocks and accompanying trinkets, but it was definitely cleaner. It shone in the strong light of the Caribbean sun, and the one time he'd gotten close, it had definitely smelled different too! . Whatever it was, it was most intriguing. Will was absolutely determined to find out more about the man. There was something that just did not add up.

Will would sit on deck, in a tucked away corner, helping repair fishing nets, or weave rope, or basically help out with the small menial and boring tasks that were inherent in running a ship. He didn't really mind. It left him free to pursue his new hobby after all, but it was rather frustrating that he couldn't help out.

So Will sat and watched.

There was one thing for sure though. Jack Sparrow was avoiding him.

In all the time that he'd been awake, he'd barely seen the pirate captain, except from afar. The few times he did run into the captain, he'd be somewhat distant and short. Asking a quick "How are ye feeling?" before giving a brisk nod and disappearing again. It had Will in quite a state of confusion, and from all accounts was at complete odds to how Jack had been when he was unconscious.

Will had a few ideas of why the man might be acting as he was, and he was hoping that his new hobby might help him narrow down the list.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Jack grumbled as he stomped across the deck of his ship to replace Cotton at the helm. The damn whelp was staring at him, again!

A deep feminine creak of amusement greeted him. ~ Of course he is Jack. What would you expect, with you acting as you have been? The boy isn’t a mind reader, he doesn't know why your avoiding him.~

Jack glared half heartedly at Pearl. " 'M not avoiding him! It just so happens that I'm very busy! That's all!"

A loud squeak of disbelief answered him. ~ When are you going to admit it to yourself, Jack? Your not as cold-hearted as you like yourself, and others, to think you are.~

Jack's glare intensified a bit. "And just wha' are ye in-sin-u-a-tin'?!"

If Pearl had a corporeal form, she'd have rolled her eyes at the antics of her captain. ~What I'm blatantly saying, Jack, is that you'll admit you care for the boy, but not that your feelings run deeper! It's really most exasperating!~

Jack let out a small snarl and paced the quarterdeck, "That'd be 'cause there's nothin' to admit!"

Pearl made a sound that was most readily translatable as a tutting noise. ~Oh, Jack. Would it be such a crime to open up to someone? ~

Jack stopped and stared at the helm with an expression that was wrapped in layers of emotion. "In case ye don't remember. I've done tha' before and look where it got us! I was marooned and you were under some ol' world curse! And then there were the time b'fore tha' -" Jack shook his head, ruthlessly cutting off some of his darker memories. "No, luv, you'll be the only one I'll open up to from now on."

The conversation was firmly closed, but Pearl felt the beginnings of a plan form in her consciousness. If Jack would not admit his feelings, and if Will were too... green ... to recognise them himself, then she'd just have to take matters onto her bow.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The echoing boom of cannon fire fell just short of the Pearl's stern, causing the great ship to list slightly to one side. Jack jerked upright from his seat in the galley, running up the companionway to the deck, shouting for all hands as he went.

Taking the stairs to the quarterdeck two at a time, he passed Cotton to stand at the stern of the ship, whipping out his spyglass to see just who had snuck up on them.

"Sail ho!"

Jack rolled his eyes and snarled at the more than obvious pronouncement. Roving the horizon with the spyglass, he spotted the ship and recognised it immediately. Will came by a few minutes later, joining him at the rail. He passed the spyglass to Will, his face set in a grim and angry mask as he recognised Dawn's Fury, Captain Duke's ship.

Spinning on his heel he made his way over to the stairs to address the crew, who stood at the ready for orders.

Jack surveyed the men arrayed before him for a minute before giving a short sharp nod. "I realise ye all been a bit restless since we last set sail." A chorus of gruff "Aye"s met this pronouncement. Jack nodded before continuing. "It would seem tha' Duke weren't too happy abou' the remains o' his crew that we left for him." The crew gave a laugh and a few cat calls at that. "He has thus decided to further our interactions by persuin' us. An' be the obligin' capt'n that I am, I say we should repay his kindness with a lesson in diplomacy!" Here Jack's face morphed into a wicked smirk. "Haul sail and stow the jackets!" A rousing cry echoed across the deck and the sailors scurried to their stations.

Jack turned back to the helm, catching Will by the arm as he tried to make his way to join the rest of the crew.

"Not you."

"What?!"

"I'll not be havin' you goin' and gettin' yerself re-injured. Ye only just got back on yer feet and your shoulder's still sore, though ye hide it well."

Will tried to shake off the restraining arm, glaring at his captain. "I’m well enough!"

Jack let out an inelegant snort. "To scurvy hell ye are! You'll be goin' below, an' that's an order!"

Will's eyes flashed in anger. "I will not cower below like some child! I can help! Just 'cause I'm injured doesn't mean I cant! I've got two arms, you know!"

Jack squared off, his grip tightening and his own eyes flashing at the infuriating whelp. "I'll not risk other members of me crew to look out for you in a fight. We don't have men enough, and that kind of decision gets people killed! As much as you don't like it, you’re nowhere near up to speed or normal health!"

Will winced at the tight grip on his arm and looked away from the harsh gaze. Loath to admit it as he was, Jack did have a point. "Fine. But I'll not go below. I can still help out here, even if I can't fight."

Jack's eyes narrowed and his jaw tightened, realising that this was the best agreement he was going to get from the former landlubber. A short sharp nod and some brisk directions saw Will scurry off to help, regardless of Jack's wishes against it.

Spinning away from the retreating form of the blacksmith, he temporarily took over from Cotton at the helm. Spinning Pearl's wheel hard to port, he brought Dawn's Fury into view and range.

A lopsided grin split his face and a battle-mad glint entered Jack's dark eyes. Patting the wood of the Pearl's wheel, he whispered to his love; "Lets teach this posturing strumpet a thing or two, darlin'!

And with a bone in her teeth**, the Black Pearl leapt towards the oncoming ship, determined to keep all onboard safe from harm’s way. For the rival ship, however, she had no such qualms.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

TBC.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time on Survivor: A standoff between the two captains, and we get to see just how dangerous an angry Jack can be.
> 
> Notes:  
> * -"This is either madness, or brilliance!"  
>  -"It's remarkable how often those two traits coincide."  
> ** A bone in her teeth: nautical term describing a ship traveling at speed, raising a white wake at her bow.
> 
> Hope that's got everyone happy for the time being! Im not sure when the next chapter might go up. With any luck it'll be soon, 'cause i've got several essay's for Uni i need to do, so I'll most likely be procrastinating frequently. =P.
> 
> Reviews/Comments/Replies make Jack horny. ;-P.


	8. Chapter 8

The large thundering boom of cannon-fire rang out across the sparkling bay, disturbing the serene environment with its concussive blast. The sounds of men's screams, splintering wood and shrieks of twisted metal echoed across the undulating water, as the sea turned red. The sun shone brightly, at complete odds with the gory horror that was taking place far below.

Jack Sparrow, infamous pirate captain, was grinning. The facial expression was so fearsome in its gleefully disturbed way that all those who came upon him thought twice before engaging in battle, many of them running as far in the opposite direction as was possible in such close quarters. His face was like a ghastly reflection of the Jolly Roger's malevolent skull snapping high above. A dark glint had entered the pirate's eye, and his cutlass was swathed in red, dripping macabre liquid onto the tarred wood of the Pearl's decking. He prowled the ship's deck like a stalking lion, his movements smooth and ruthless in their deadly efficiency.

Will watched with a mixture of shock and horror at the man he thought he knew. Jack moved like water over rock, unstoppable and unattainable, oblivious to danger, and laughing at death. Gone was the cheery – if somewhat insane – spirit, the suave rogue and the man who loved two things; his ship and his rum. In their place was... a pirate. A proper, full blown, blood thirsty devil, who cared nothing for the welfare of others.

Will ducked as cannon-fire splintered the wood behind him, sending it flying into the air in lethal shards. Ripping his eyes away from the mesmerising figure, he reloaded the gun, stamping down the powder with several other men as they tried to repel boarders. Minutes stretched into an uncountable measure and every second felt like a century. No-one was able to mark the passage of time and the sun herself seemed to have frozen in her arc across the sky. The repetitive motion of firing, loading, stamping and firing again was the only indication that time was moving at all. Over and over it went, and still more men swung across the watery gap and onto the Pearl. When Will next looked up, the pirate had disappeared.

In some small part of his mind that was not consumed by the battle, Will knew he should not be so shocked at this new persona: this ruthless killer. After all, it was often made more than clear that the romanticised adventure stories of piracy that Elizabeth and he had enjoyed growing up were nowhere near the real thing. If nothing else, the ordeal with Barbossa had proven that more than anything! So it shouldn't come as such a shock that Jack – the Captain Jack Sparrow – could be just as ferocious as any other pirate. But somehow, it did.

And then Will had no more time to think, even subconsciously – as a large boarding party grappled their way onto the Pearl.

 

~*~*~*~

 

Will looked frantically through the crushing throng for the familiar dread-locked form, finally spotting him on the opposite ship, cutting a swathe of red death as he made his way toward the rival captain. Without thinking, he scaled the nearest ladder across to the Dawn's Fury, knowing somehow that the single-minded intensity that had ensnared his captain had blinded him to all else. Grabbing a discarded cutlass he ducked an on-coming swing, slipping past the hulking mass and dispatching him easily.

The former blacksmith of Port Royal lost himself to the familiar movements of combat. Though it had been a while since his practice in the smithy, three hours a day for years untold ensured that even as his attention was split, his form was perfect as his body's muscle memory kicked in. Soon his mind began to blank as his attention narrowed and he became more aware of his immediate surroundings.

Pivoting deftly, he forced his way towards a spot aft of the mast where a few of the Pearl's crew had made an impromptu stand. With a quick move, he dispatched a burly man who had been haranguing Gibbs. The old salt gave him a small salute with his sword in thanks before turning back into the fray.

The deck was wet with a slick mixture of blood and salt spray, the footing treacherous as debris and loose cargo shifted with the dip and sway of the ship.

Helping several of the Pearl's crew, he continued looking for Jack. A tingle at the base of his neck warned him that something was wrong, or would be. He had to find Jack.

Something glinted in the sun, and he spun around to see it.

He'd finally found the pirate.

Jack was abaft the beam* of the enemy ship, near the stairs to the stern, fiercely locked in a battle with two others. So immersed in his fight was he, though, that he did not notice the figure coming up behind him, their blade glinting maliciously in the sunshine.

Too far away to do much immediately, Will acted on instinct, hefting his sword and shifting his weight, throwing the blade with practised ease towards the menacing figure.

He watched anxiously as it narrowly missed Jack before landing with a wet 'thunk' in the body of the enemy pirate.

Jack turned quickly at the noise and was witness to the man's messy demise.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Tsk, tsk..."

Will spun around at the noise from behind him.

"Now that wasn't too smart boy..." the man commented before the hilt of his sword slammed into the Will's temple. He fell heavily to the deck, managing to catch himself at the last minute. A savage kick to his stomach however, soon saw him laying on the stressed wood of the ship panting for breath, his arm wrapped around his middle.

"Alas, such c'n only be expected from one of Jack's boys...."

With what little air he had left, Will looked at the man standing above him with a fierce glare on his face. "I'm nobody's boy!"

 

"DUKE!"

 

Both looked up at the roar, one in surprise and the other annoyance.

Striding quickly towards them, his eyes flat and hard was the unrecognisable form of the Captain.

Bring his sword to bear at the other pirate, Jack's bearded lips curled in a savage snarl.

"No one harms what is mine!"

A wicked smirk lit Duke's face. "And why is that Jack?" He cut his glance at the boy before looking once more at his opponent. "Is he that good at warming your bed?"

As Will watched, stunned, something seemed to snap in Jack's dark gaze. Within an eye blink, his sword had lashed out in a flurry of fast attacks.

Duke growled, concentrating on parrying, before striking back. "Wha's the matter Jack, don't have a problem stealing other people's lovers, but can't stand the thought of your own being taken?"

Jack's teeth flashed in a menacing parody of a smile. "Just 'cause you can't keep 'em by your side 'sno reason for another worthier man to turn them away." Jack's eyes dipped below the pirate's belt to emphasise his point.

The two combatants were moving further away, and yet all Will could do was sit in shock and watch. His brain seemed to have frozen, all thought had emptied and everyone else had vanished until all he was aware of was the deadly dance before him.

All talk between the two had ceased as their attacks became fiercer and faster and all attention was put into avoiding the glinting blades and on inflicting maximum damage.

It was during a clash of locked blades that a thundering boom shook the deck beneath them.

All three seemed to pause, the reality of their situation quickly illuminated.

 

The cannon shot had not come from either of their ships.

 

The panicked cry of a crewman shouted out the approach of another ship. The warning shot from her cannons having just skirted the bow of the two ships locked in combat. "Cap'tn! It's the Navy!"

Both captains' eyes met across their crossed blade, sharing their exasperation.

Will's head whipped around to see the quickly approaching ship, trying to make out the name.

With a quick move the swords were dis-engaged and the two men stood opposite one another in a moment of indecision .

"Bugger... as if there weren't enough to worry about, now we've gotta deal with bloody lobster-backs!"

 

"Prepare to board!" The shout seemed preternaturally loud in the suddenly frozen chaos of the two pirate ships. Faced between the figurative rock and a hard place and without any orders from the still forms of their captains, the crews anxiously eyed each other in a temporary truce.

Duke's eyes cut to the yellow-coated ship that was coming up fast to his ship before turning appraisingly back to Will's crouched figure. With a snarl he turned and roared out his orders. "ALL HANDS TO STATIONS! FULL CANVAS!"

Jack had still not moved, and the Pearl's crew seemed like they also wanted to follow these orders, yet knew better than to take no more than a step or two towards their ship. Their Captain's eyes were fixed on the pirate opposite him, seemingly weighing the options.

 

As the large man-of-war caught their grappling hooks onto the rail of Dawn's Fury, he made up his mind.

 

With a motion almost too quick to follow, Jack brought up his sword and savagely thrust it into Duke's torso. Pulling the man closer, he disarmed him almost carelessly with his free hand, his eyes flat and glinting in satisfaction. He gave a ruthless twist of the weapon. Duke choked a gasping gargle, and with his ear near the other captain's lips, the last words he heard were; "I did warn ye, mate. No one harms what is mine."

And with a jerk, he ripped the blade from the man's stomach, watching with a feral smile as the Captain of the Dawn's Fury fell to the bloodied deck and knew no more.

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Will watched in horror as the lifeless body slipped off the bloodied sword and sank to the deck. He was too far away to hear what was said, but watched as Jack seemed to carelessly clean his sword. Turning, the man met his gaze and Will gulped at the emptiness he saw there. Unlike before, his mind suddenly began to spin, thoughts churning away at a dizzying speed when compared to the blank autonomy that had existed previously.

With several slow, methodical strides, Jack stood before Will, still seated where he'd fallen. Jack watched him for several seconds before he spoke, his voice cold and unfamiliar. "I ordered you to stay on the Pearl, sailor."

Will's jaw dropped and outrage filled him. That was the thanks he got for saving the man's life?!

Yet despite his flush of ire no sound seemed to exit his throat and still the dark eyes pinned him to his spot.

Something seemed to fade from Jack's eyes, and with a quick movement he spun on his heel and marched towards the Navy-men, releasing Will from his temporary paralysis.

The lobster-backs were making quick work of rounding up the crew of the Dawn's Fury, who - without a captain and faced by two opponents [however different] - surrendered quietly, dropping their weapons at their feet.

The tension between the Pearl's crew and the Royal Navy however, remained, and they stood, weapons sheathed, but eyeing each other warily.

Getting up slowly, with a brief wince of pain, it was then that Will heard it. He glanced at Jack to see that he had also looked up from his conference with Gibbs, brow drawn into a steep furrow and his eyes sweeping the deck.

"Will!!!"

Surprise and confusion swamped him and he turned slowly at the feminine voice.

"Elizabeth?" A slow tingling of joy ran its way through him as he saw the familiar figure, dressed in an odd match of women's garments and navy uniform heading towards him.

From his spot with his crew, Jack gave a series of profound and heartfelt mental curses while he had to consciously restrain himself from curling his lip.

With a sinking suspicion, Jack glanced around, his eyes searching for yet another figure, and very deliberately avoiding the view of the young man heading towards the wench.

And yep. He was right.

He hated being right.

Commodore James Norrington had just made his way onto the Dawn's Fury, smartly directing his men in their various tasks.

Jack could feel a very intense migraine coming on. 'Well this day jus' keeps gettin' better an' better!!!' Hmmm... Even his inner voice sounded sober. Definitely time for some rum. Carefully sidling away from the form of the commodore, he slipped into the crowd. This, however, unfortunately brought him closer to Will, who was currently looking at the damned interfering wench as if the moon shone out of the strumpet's ass.

Fearfully he turned to see what was happening between the reunited youths, cringing at the look of joy on Will's face. Said cringe however, turned into a surprised and sympathetic wince when the lass dealt Will a stinging blow to his cheek. Well... maybe he'd underestimated her a little bit.

 

Will stood, blinking owlishly at the woman in front of him and raised his hand to rub his reddened cheek.

"Ow!!!" He said belatedly. He looked so much like a lost puppy that Elizabeth had to restrain the slight curling of her lips at the sight. Frowning deeper she managed to keep her stern countenance.

Jack watched with interest. Hell, might as well enjoy the show while it was still available.

"Two years and not a single missive?! What, you couldn't find a post-master or hire a rider in all that time?"

Will blinked again, certainly not expecting that. "Uh...." he said eloquently. "Um...well....err, that is...."

The stern and expectant look stayed on Elizabeth's face for a moment longer before it was ruined by a very un-lady like snort. The noise caused both Jack and Will to flinch expectantly. Grin widening, she threw her arms around her childhood friend. "Oh Will, I've missed you so much!"

Jack had to fight the urge to gag.

"And you!"

Huh?

Jack watched suspiciously as the woman approached, debating with his 'fight or flight' instincts. Oops. Too late.

"Jack Sparrow."

With a sigh and a carefully averted rolling of the eyes, he held out his arms in displaying manner. "The one an' only." He then shut his eyes in preparation for the awaited slap that usually accompanied his name. However, when the expected impact didn't occur, he cautiously opened an eye to peer at the amused faces of the two in front of him.

"What?" He winced at the light squeak in his voice.

Elizabeth quirked an eyebrow, holding his gaze for a moment longer, before - to both Will and Jack's never ending shock - also wrapping her arms around the man.

Somewhat baffled - though to be honest, he always was with women - at this turn of events he awkwardly patted her on the back, his eye's meeting Will's laughing ones over her shoulder. It was then that her purpose became clear.

A gentle waft of warm breath fleeted past his ear as Elizabeth imparted her message.

"Thank you for keeping him safe.... Captain."

Jack stiffened, eyes darting to meet her knowing ones. It was then that Jack had the realisation that he was doing the most remarkable impression of a beached cod. He snapped his mouth shut with a quiet 'click'.

Releasing him, Elizabeth said loud enough for Will to hear; "I've missed you too, Jack... Only fleetingly though..."

He was staring so intently at her that he didn't notice Will's stiffening posture at the approaching figures.

Elizabeth turned and gave a welcoming smile. "James."

Jack was very proud to say that his only reaction to this was an involuntary muscle twitch in his face. It was somewhat unfortunate though, that this muscle twitch mostly resembled a grimace.

"C'mmd're," was his mumbled greeting. He ignored the lieutenant accompanying him as the man was obviously trying to burn a hole in Jack's head through his gaze alone. Most rude, really.

A quirked eye brow and quick appraisal was the only answer he got from the stick. Jack tensed slightly, fully prepared to embrace his 'flight' instinct. At that moment, however, he noticed that Will had quietly sidled his way behind him, his hand resting in caution on the hilt of his sword. Jack's inner voice experienced an untamed sense of glee at that, which would most likely be communicated as "Ha!" -

It was then that Norrington spoke. "I do hope, Captain, that you will be able to make your way unassisted?"

It took all Jack had to not drop right then and there from shock. He would definitely be needing that drink later. Jack cleared his throat a few times before he was convinced of his ability to speak in a normal tone of voice. "Indeed! Should be no problem...er... " He stamped down his pride and swallowed hard. "...Thank you... for your timely assistance." Ugh.

A slight twitch belayed the fact that Norrington knew just how hard that had been for him and the commodore's satisfaction in getting such a response. Turning to Elizabeth, he picked up her hand in his. "You should head back to the ship, we'll be departing in a matter of minutes." Elizabeth gave him a slight nod of her head, squeezing his hand in response.

It was then that the presence of something shiny caught Jack's attention. Reaching out quickly, he grabbed Elizabeth's recently released hand in his own grip, examining the jewel that adorned her finger. On her left hand. He cut his eyes to Will, who was also looking at the ring in shock. He then looked back at the only other man it could've belonged too and saw a distinctly smug look flash in Norrington's eyes.

A slight tug and a clearing of a throat alerted him to the fact that he still had Elizabeth's hand hostage. "Apologies. Is a might fine bauble you've got there, Lizzie luv."

She quirked her eyebrow at him.

Damn. They obviously deserved each other, what with their penchant for solitary eyebrow movement.

"Well." Norrington said into the rather deep silence. "If that'll be all?" He made to turn away from the company, to which the lieutenant made a rather dismayed noise.

"Sir! You cannot possibly be thinking of letting this man go!"

Jack winced and started shooting eye-daggers at the man.

Will stiffened again.

"And why would that be, lieutenant?"

The man looked at his superior officer as if he'd lost his head. Fair enough, thought Jack idly, he was doing much the same.

"He's a wanted criminal! This is the notorious pirate Jack Sparrow!!!"

On one hand he was rather chuffed at the notorious bit. His lack of title however...

Norrington turned around slowly and faced Jack, eyeing him slowly. Not too sure of what to make of this, Jack decided to do the same to him.

After a long pause - which seemed to have several breaths held in suspense - Norrington spoke again.

"I fear you must be mistaken, lieutenant. You see, I have studied countless artistic renditions of the man, and seen him with my very own eyes." He again gave Jack a long sweeping look. "The man before me bears some resemblance, yes, but for the most part he is missing most of Sparrow's discerning features. His hair is much shorter - and dare I be rude sir, much cleaner - his beard more closely cropped. This simply cannot be the man you suggest. I fear the presence of Mr. Turner and my fiancée may have confused you, hmm?"

The lieutenant was gaping at Norrington, his mouth opening and closing as he struggled to find his voice.

Norrington turned to Jack. "I dare say you look enough like him though that you may be related, however?"

Jack straightened. "Ah.. yes, that'd be me cousin, twice removed. Has shamed the family he has, what with all his illegal shenanigans. Me ma was quite distraught having named me after him... before he got into all tha' nasty business that is."

Will stared at him in incredulity.

Norrington, however, stared passively back, a quick flash of emotion in his eyes the only signifier that he wasn't a statue. "Indeed."

With a nod to Elizabeth, he gathered her arm in his. "Good passage to you, gentlemen. May you encounter no further dangers on the rest of your voyage."

Will and Jack both released a long held breath as they watched Norrington and Elizabeth - who had a distinctly amused air about her - walk away, the lieutenant trailing dumbly behind them. They quickly caught their breath once more however, when Norrington stopped and called to them. "Oh, but do be aware. These areas are notorious for piracy. I would hate to find you once more in such dire straits." And with one last quirked eyebrow, he and Elizabeth descended to the boat that would take them to the man-o-war and were gone.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

TBC

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * Abaft the Beam: towards the rear of the ship, somewhere between a 6'o'clock and 9'o'clock position.
> 
>  
> 
> \- Well folks, I hope it was worth the wait. It seems to me that the muses have gotten sick of waiting for me and we're rolling towards the end. Then again, who knows, a flash of inspiration might strike me and it'll continue into a massive story! lol!!!!
> 
> Fear not, though. The second chapter is half written already, so it won't be seven months before you see another update! *hides in shame!*
> 
>  
> 
> Comments are always appreciated. ;)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Heh. So much for "I'll have the next part up quick!" eh? *snort* Epic fail. I so don't do the frequent updates thing. *makes memo* Next time, finish story first! - I do have a reason though! *watches as you all grumble* I do!!!! I was overseas visiting family and friends who I haven't seen in fourteen years! AND none of them (and I'm seriously not joking) had a computer. 0_0!!!! (Like, wtf?!) *Sigh* And yeah... got back and then Uni got started and... ugh. Real life sucks. OMG! And as if that weren't enough LJ goes and deletes the entry I worked for several HOURS on so I had to do it ALL over again!!! (Cause like an idiot I didn't save it when I should've! GAHHHHH!!!!!)
> 
>  
> 
> So anyway, here we go!!! THE FINAL CHAPTER *dramatic music plays!*.... For now!!!!! Mwahaha!
> 
> Thanks to [info]ainsoph15 for being so awesome and doing all the cleanup, and for keeping me going. *SMOOCHES*
> 
> This chapter is dedicated to the gorgeous my saucy pirate wench, [info]liriel1810 , who supplies me with ficy goodness and keeps me sane! *SQUISH!* HAPPY BIRTHDAY GORGEOUS! May your dreams be filled with yummy inspiring slash!
> 
> Links to previous parts. (Cause honestly, who remembers what happened?! I sure as hell didn't and I wrote the darn thing! LOL!) ---> Link now fixed! (Sorry about that!) If it's still causing problems, you can now go back through [info]jackwill via the tag *dragonmad at the bottom of the entry.
> 
> ~Italics~ Pearl speaking  
> ' Thoughts'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Pearl gave a forlorn groan as she limped her way slowly across the Caribbean.

Will patted the mizzenmast comfortingly, tightening a bolt as he did so.

“Easy there, girl. We'll have you ship shape in no time.” The young man shook his head deprecatingly. Great, now he was talking to the ship! He was definitely starting to go as mad as Jack.

Both Jack and Pearl, meanwhile, were frozen, staring at the former blacksmith incredulously.

~Did he... did he just hear me, Jack?! ~

Jack frowned, eyeing the young man speculatively - and not just because his sweat-damp shirt was clinging most enticingly to his nicely muscled form. Jack watched a bead of sweat slowly roll down the lad's neck, resting for a minute in the hollow there before continuing its journey down, underneath that lovely shirt...

Jack gave himself a mental slap of such force that Scarlett and Giselle would've been proud.

Turning, Will saw the pirate looking at him and smiled sheepishly. 'Great, now even Jack is looking at me as if I've spent too much time in the sun.' He shrugged, defensively. “She makes so much noise sometimes, I could swear she's talking.”

Jack could do nothing but blink after the retreating form of the man, while Pearl cackled gleefully.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Will put his head in his hands, the realisation knocking the breath from his lungs.

He was in love with Jack Sparrow.

A pirate, a scallywag, an eccentricity.

Worse yet was the realisation that this wasn't exactly a new thing. It was just the first time he'd actually been forced to confront it. He cared about what Jack thought of him.

Somehow Will had never seen it coming. It all seemed so incredibly wrong - if he were to desire another male, shouldn't it have been a noble knight in shining armor on top of a barrel-chested war horse? Wasn't that usually the ideal partner? Not a dark-eyed prankster who was more flighty than his namesake?

Will stared blankly at the planks beneath his feet, the soft sounds of the busy ship echoing above. He rubbed his aching shoulder absentmindedly.

Jack was the complete opposite of everything he had ever aspired to be. And yet, somewhere in his many-faceted mask, there must be some semblance of gentry, right? Will wasn't too sure.

In the few years that Captain Jack Sparrow had entered his life, Will had seen more contradicting behaviour than he knew how to guess at.

There was just something about the enigmatic man though, that was undefinably attractive. Behind the cocksure stride and rapscallion grin was a flash of fire in coal-dark depths.

Perhaps that was it? In Jack Sparrow, you could see a personification of all the elements of this world: the magnitude of the earth herself, the complexity of the ocean, the taciturn nature of the four winds and the fearsome brilliance of fire. He was incredibly unique, but somehow an Everyman figure*.

Was that why? Was it because in Jack he could see a reflection of all those he loved and feared?

The answer was tantalisingly close, yet too far away to reach.

Even more confusing than this, though, was the way Jack looked at him.

Will was not so naive to not guess at what such looks meant. He had been among sailors for most of his life after all, and in such cramped quarters there wasn't much one could hide from curious young eyes. Not that he'd... well... you know. But Will wasn't about to let a little thing like a lack of practical experience stop him from getting what he wanted. And he definitely wanted the other man.

The question remained however, was this just some passing fancy of Jack's, or something deeper? If it were the former, Will was unsure how he would cope. Against his will - 'Ha!'-, Jack had come to represent everything in his life - both the good and the bad. And Will craved it like a man dying of thirst craves a drink.

Will snorted in dry amusement as the image of a desolate Jack with an empty bottle of rum drifted past his mind’s eye.

...Wait.

Will grinned like the cat with the proverbial canary. It was a positively frightful sight on such a young and honest face.

 

He had just come up with the perfect plan to test the man.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Up on deck, Jack was having a battle of wills - 'Ha!' - against his conscience and his no-good nosey ship.

Pearl grinned unsympathetically. ~Admit it, you'd be lost without me.~

Pacing the deck, he tried his best to ignore her. An impossible feat, but it was always worth a try.

Pearl sighed, ~Jack luv, why do you keep denying it? We've been having this argument for entirely too long. Both of us know the truth. ~

Jack paused in his pacing, staring unseeingly out at the far distant horizon.

With a tired exhalation of breath, his proud shoulders slumped.

"It’s not right."

Pearl gave a squeak in question.

Stroking the handrail absentmindedly, Jack continued to battle his thoughts. "It's not right. He deserves more." Jack gave an irritable snort. "He deserves better."

Pearl's reverberant groan of chastisement was heard by all on board. Those on deck darted a quick glance at the backlit shadow of their captain before going back to their duties. It was just another example of the fact they were all now well acquainted with; the Black Pearl was no ordinary ship.

~And who are you to judge what he needs? How do you know until you've tried?~ Pearl shifted restlessly. ~Here now, that ain't the talk of my captain! That's the talk of a whelp who don't know bow from stern! ~

Jack's lips twitched at the suddenly coarse voice of his ship. Her voice always did roughen when she was upset.

Calming slightly, Pearl continued on her steady course sou'east. ~I'll take no more of this nonsense from you Jack Sparrow! The only way you'll know is if you talk to the lad, so why are you still here, hmmm?! Go on! Get!.~

Swallowing hard and steeling himself, Jack gave his girl a fond pat before heading below to find the elusive blacksmith.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Jack waved Will into the cabin.

Lifting up a blackjack of rum, Jack quirked an eyebrow in silent question. Will nodded and thanked him as he sat down, putting his booted feet up on the desk between them.

Jack frowned for a minute, perturbed by the action for an unnameable reason before shrugging it off. Sprawling into the chair behind his desk he raised his blackjack in a silent salute before downing most of it in a single gulp.

Will paused, the clay mug halfway to his mouth as he was unwittingly ensnared by the motion of Jack's throat working on a swallow. Blinking himself out of his momentary stupor, Will took a quick fortifying swig of rum, relishing the burn as it went down.

“So. That was more than a mite interes-tin'.”

“Pardon?”

Jack waved his hand elaborately. “Ye know, tha' whole affair we jus' had. Mind you, yer takin' it very well.”

Will frowns, utterly confused. “What in blazes are you talking about?”

Putting down the blackjack with a heavy 'thunk', Jack stared at the boy incredulously. “What, you're sayin' you don't remember tha' tiny thing called a battle tha' we just had?”

“Oh! That.”

“OH THAT?!”

Will shrugged. “'S not like we haven't been in a battle before.”

Jack snarled "You bloody well almost had your head lopped off!!!!"

"Well, you did too!"

"No I didn't! I was doin' perfectly fine!"

"What, even with that man sneaking up behind you?!"

Jack glowered. "As neat as that trick of yours is, just what were you going to do with no weapon? Last time that happened I beat you. Probably would've killed yer too, if we hadn't been interrupted!"

Will snorts derisively. "Yeah, sure you would've. And you didn't beat me! It wasn't a fair fight!!!"

Jack rolls his eyes in an exaggerated manner. "Pirates don't fight fair, luv. That's why they're pirates! Which you are too, now, so you might as well bloody get used to it and start fighting dirty."

Will frowns, not willing to admit that Jack might have a point. "I don't know why we're arguing. It wasn't like you saved me single-handedly. If Norrington hadn't shown up..."

Jack went silent suspiciously quickly. Not liking where this conversation is heading, he drank some more rum. Rum was good. Helped you think. Well... not most people, but it helped Jack think - not necessarily clearly, but more in a diagonally circuitous way. Wait... what were they talking about? Oh, right. The subject that stood in the room as clearly as if the thrice-bedamned poxy strumpet and wig-bedecked worm** were actually there. Taking another gulp, he posed the question...

"I must admit, mate, I'm a mite surprised you didn't skewer the poncy git, when you saw the company he was keepin'."

Will unsuccessfully hid a small smile at the not-mention of Elizabeth's name, and Jack felt the uncomfortable flare of envy at the sight. He ruthlessly suppressed it with a swig of rum.

After a moment, Will continued. "I'm happy for her. James will be a good influence."

Jack snorted a scoff at that. "Doubt she'll change much." He carefully watched the younger man’s face for signs of inevitable distress, Will noticed and shook his head at him.

"I'm not angry, or upset...” He frowned, unsure how he'd term the expression. “Nostalgic, maybe."

Secretly please, Jack quipped the only retort he could come up with. "Yer a bloody eunuch!"

Will waited a beat, carefully timing his response. With a put upon sigh he replied, "Jack...just what is your fascination with my apples***?"

Jack inhaled half his tankard and immediately started choking. Eyes watering, he clutched his throat, brain frantically scrabbling for cognition.

Will hid a grin in his own blackjack, eyes dancing with mischief. He'd been saving that for the opportune moment. Seems he'd found it rather successfully. With seeming concern, he leaned over, rubbing the man's back in soothing circles. "Captain!" He says in alarm, "are you alright? Would you like some water?"

Jack glared up at the man, almost positive that Will did that on purpose - that is, if he didn't know better. Frankly he was quite surprised – and somewhat impressed – that the lad managed to say the word ‘apples’ in a sexual manner without stumbling. "I'm fine!" he grunts. He frantically hoped that the low lighting hid the flush of his cheeks.

"You're sure? You seem a bit feverish..." Will reached out a hand as if to lay it on Jack's brow.

Jack recoiled violently, eyes flashing. "Yes, I'm sure!!!" he snapped.

Biting his tongue to keep himself from laughing, Will's shoulders shook imperceptibly with his mirth.

Jack huffed once more. "What were we talking about?"

"Elizabeth."

Jack couldn't quite hide his grimace of distaste. Will laughed, the sound sending small shivers down the dark haired pirate's spine.

"Now really Jack, she isn't all that bad. She deserves her happiness."

"You're taking all this very calmly. Had a fallin' out did ye?"

Will shook his head in the negative. "More of a mutual agreement, really." He fiddled with his nearly empty cup. "I don't think I ever loved her..."

Jack's head snapped up and he stares at the man incredulously. Will smiled wanly at him. "Well, not really. I think I was more in love with the idea of her, if that makes any sense." He gazed into some middle distance, and Jack fervently wished he could see what wheels were turning in Will’s mind.

"Elizabeth... she represented everything I could possibly hope to achieve in life. Well..." Will amended with a grin, "the life of a good, law abiding citizen!" He gave Jack a cheeky smile that made the pirate captain's tongue thicken and cleave to the roof of his mouth.

"And Norrington?" Jack managed to croak.

Will shrugged. "Much the same really. I was young, he was the closest thing I had to a role model and father figure. I wanted to be him - he was what every young man in Port Royal aspired to be."

Silence descended for a while on the small cabin, the sounds of a sleeping ship the only noise. With a sigh, Will got up, stretching luxuriously – and Jack had a lovely moment of seeing a flash of tanned skin peeking out beneath Will's shirt tails – before finishing his mug of rum.

"G'night, Jack."

The door closed behind the former blacksmith, missing Jack's soft "Good night, William."

 

~*~*~*~

 

Jack tossed and turned in his bed, unable to sleep, but unwilling to relinquish his fight so easily. He kicked at his covers, which were at once both smothering and oddly comforting, twisting and turning this way and that. Unable to get comfortable he fought not to open his eyes. To do so would admit defeat.

With a final frustrated exhalation of air, he gave up. Swinging his legs from his bed, he stomped his feet angrily into his boots. He paced the dark cabin, effortlessly avoiding the obstacles strewn haphazardly across the floor.

~You know, my Captain, we'd all be a lot happier if you'd just work off some of that tension... ~

Jack gave her a warning glare.

~In fact, I happen to know someone you could work off that tension with! ~

"Oh, shut UP Pearl!"

An angry reverberant shudder was the only warning he got before a sudden heave of the deck sent Jack flying across the wooden surface, his arms pinwheeling madly. He collided with a crewman and with an “Ooof!" of expelled air, they landed pinned against the wooden wall of the Pearl's cabin, the wind knocked out of them.

With a sinking suspicion Jack looked up at the person he had trapped to the wall of the great ship.

Brown eyes, wide with confusion and shock regard Jack curiously, begging for an answer. Or something else...

"Oh....bugger!"

Will's lips quirked in amusement, his eyes dancing with some unspecified emotion. “Was that a suggestion Captain?”

Jack blinked, at a sudden loss as to how to deal with this suddenly calm and raptorial version of the man he thought he knew.

“I...er...GODDAMMIT PEARL!”

Will's eyebrow lifted.

Realising that his body was still pressed against the warm solid weight of Will's own, Jack lurched backwards, hands twitching awkwardly in front of him.

Will pushed himself up and, brushing himself off, looked calmly at Jack.

“I, ahem, er, stubbed my toe?”

“Was that a question or a statement?”

“Statement?”

Will had to duck his head to hide his grin. There was something incredibly thrilling about having Jack out of sorts. Looking up through lowered lids, he gave the older man a predatory smile that had Jack so flustered he didn’t see the next part coming...

Slamming the smaller man against the wooden wall, Will pinned him easily. Arms held captive at either side of his head, Jack glared darkly at the younger man; “And jus' what do ye think ye're doing?!”

Will smiled slightly, stepping into closer contact, causing the other man to gulp nervously and try to merge into the wall. Licking his lips, he leaned forward, letting his breath whisper over the pirate’s ear, tickling it enticingly. Jack’s eyes fluttered closed and he waited impatiently for Will to continue...with...whatever he was going to continue with. Jack had a few ideas for him if he was unsure...

Will inhaled the scent of the other man, detecting the bewilderingly heady mixture of sea salt and spices. “I thought that'd be obvious, Jack. I'm setting the course...” And with a sudden movement that left Jack gasping, Will claimed the man's bearded lips with his own in a passionate and aggressive kiss.

A rumbling growl emerged from the pirate's throat. Jack eye's flashed a warning before he easily reversed their position, grinning at the somewhat discontented expression on Will’s face.

Licking and nipping his way down the man’s neck, he followed the path he had so desperately wanted to that very morning. Jack paused at the juncture of shoulder and neck. Pulling back he met Will's dark gaze once more.

"Yer sure you want this, Will?" It's the last chance he'd offer, and for that Jack felt a quick flash of guilt before a wave of desire ruthlessly quenched it.

Will paused, aware of the serious nature of the man's question. Staring into the pirate's dark and lust filled gaze, Will found his answer with a mischievous grin.

"Drink up me hearties, yo ho!"

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Until the next adventure...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * The Everyman character were the focal characters in Medieval morality plays****. The Everyman is the figure the audiences relates to and sees a part of themselves in. They are representative of everyone, people's emotions and/or humanity as a whole. The other characters/antagonists in the play would be personifications of life's different virtues – either good or bad. The Everyman often went through a spiritual/moral journey, resulting in a didactic message about the important values of life.
> 
> ** wig-bedecked worm is a shameless reference to [info]ainsoph15 's fabulous More Seductive than Purity. Even though it was a different wig-bedecked worm in her story. ;P And if you haven't read it; FOR SHAME!!!!!
> 
> *** Apples - a 16th C term for a man's testicles. I still remain somewhat uncertain of what time frame, I personally, set the PotC-verse in, so I figure the earlier the reference the more leeway I have. ;P Thanks to [info]captsparrow4evr for sharing information on the names of various body parts/acts. ;P Also - that so brings a whole new level to Barbossa's love of apples. 0_0! (And then the scene where Jack eats one!!!!! )
> 
> **** Yeah. Only reason I know that is 'cause we had to study morality plays in Drama. LOL! Ah well, at least it was a useful lesson! *snicker* Don't think this was what they had in mind though. ;P
> 
>  
> 
> Note: I know in the past I said I liked an anthropomorphic Pearl to communicate via creaks and groans that only Jack could decipher, and this remains true. However, I figured if you saw it from Jack's perspective this pretty much still holds true. (As well as for Chap. 7, where I made the same mistake. :P) Basically I needed you guys to see/hear what they were talking about, so you'll have to excuse the sudden break from what was established earlier.
> 
>  
> 
> Discussion/Thoughts: While musing about why we love the character of Cpt. Jack Sparrow - apart from the obvious reasons like looks, personality, etc, etc. - I came to a semi-conclusion that we are all able to relate to him in some way. Doesn't matter who you are or what walk of life your from, there's just something about him as a character that you find recognisable. (And I'm not inferring that there's a religious message/any sort of connotation - that's a whole new ball game that I shall not be touching, thank you very much.)
> 
> What do you guys/gals think? Agree or disagree? (Ohhh, might have to post this separately to see what kind of discussion we get! ;P)
> 
>  
> 
> Final A/N:
> 
> Thank you to everyone for your support. It was a long and taxing journey, and sometimes we all wished it had never happened, but thank you for sticking with it, and I hope the wait was worth it! *Pops the cork and starts pouring the champers!*
> 
> Oh! And this isn't the last you've seen of me. I've already got another looooong story set up/started. I'll try and finish it first though, so we can all avoid the pain of having to wait. :P


End file.
